I’ve always picked my boards for easy paddling and getting in early. I surf beachbreaks in NY. With the storm season coming I don’t want a repeat of last years struggle to get out. My main board is a Mark Richards 6’4" single fin. Around 20" wide 3" thick. Cannot duck dive for s**t. Have to turtle roll or bail. I’m 5’4" 140 lbs. in great shape but I’m 60 (sounds like I’m apologizing). Thinking going 6’0 19 wide 2 3/8? Any opinions?
personally i never ride anything below 19.5 inches wide. but the boards sounds good to me
i dont know how you duct dive but i ride really thick boards as well and when i need to get real deep i tilt the board on the rail so it takes less force to scoop it down in the water
hope this helps
Its not the board.
+1. Technique and timing. And finding a channel or waiting until there’s a break in the sets.
Its not the board.
I assume you.re of similar weight and can duck dive a board with this float? I almost always get out, but the question is about duck diving?
It IS the board. I’m the same weight and I wouldn’t be able to sink that. My big board is a 6’5 x 18 something x 2 1/4 and it’s slow getting under.
I used to have a 6’10 by the same width and thickness and could barely get it to sink.
The 6’0 sounds fine.
I can’t tell you how many times I have been asked: “How will this duck dive”, or “I need it to duck dive”. Personally, I don’t care; I prefer how a board rides; that’s just me. I would rather wait for lulls, look for rips, backdoor paddle, or go around. That understood beach breaks aren’t as easy, but the crafty, of which I consider myself, can always find a way to paddle out. Oh, my 2, 10’9’''s don’t duck dive well, they’re like pushing dinner plates through the kitchen table; kind of difficult, but it can be done.
And since your 60, and still surfing in the NY winter season, you get hero status. Just the thought of duck diving in that maelstrom gives me an ice cream headache.
…hello man, that s a lot of volume for you; yes, I understand that you are in NY and those 60 years, but I surf in colder weather and water and Im a bit more bigger and use a 5 fish.
Try out some boards of similar dims (to what you're proposing). I have to walk the same line with my boards for here in Florida. I can get out much easier on a chip but need some foam to catch waves. Short-period beachbreaks present some unusual challenges. From my experience, about 1.00 cubic feet of foam is going to be about as much as you can use if you want to duck it deep.
Thanks to all who posted. Question was not about getting out. Ocean rejected me maybe twice in the past 10 years and that’s ok. Gotta stay humble. Went and bought a resin8 6’1" x 19 5/16ths x 2 3/8 for Irene. No time to get a coil (that’s coming Mike). No problem duck diving or getting out. A little twichty for me. Did a full rail cut back when I just wanted a drawn out arching turn? also had to stay inside to catch critical drops but all in all just what I needed. 4 fin thing is nice. Holds a drop and loose on turns.